Sports stadium shuffle: Where do councillors stand?

APNZ

29 Sep, 2014 05:53 AM5 mins to read

Mt Smart Stadium's days as the home for the Warriors may be numbered, but what do Auckland's councillors really think of the plan?

The Warriors NRL club will be asked to relocate to Albany after 2018 as part of a stadium strategy that will see $30 million invested in upgrading North Harbour's QBE Stadium, creating an international cricket ground at Western Springs and relocating speedway to Western Springs.

The Herald asked Auckland's city councillors if they support the plan.

In favour

Arthur Anae, Manukau: "I will support it because I don't see a better alternative at this point in time."

George Wood, North Shore: "North Harbour is a stadium that has got a lot of potential and it wouldn't be as as costly as what they are talking about putting into Mt Smart. If the Warriors want to set up their own stadium, well, let them go and do it."

Penny Webster, Rodney: "We have to got rationalise. We have got too many stadia. Once people get over the emotion I think it will work properly all round. We have to make the decision based on what is best for the ratepayers of Auckland."

Linda Cooper, Waitakere: "This is about the Auckland ratepayers and how much hemorrhaging in losses from current stadia the ratepayer can stand. The percentage of people who actually go to Warriors games is not a whole lot. We have got to bite the bullet as a region. Everybody wants us to keep the rates down."

Penny Hulse (deputy mayor), Waitakere: "We have to make sure we get the bast bang for ratepayers' dollars. Do I support the strategy? Yes, I do."

Ross Clow, Whau: "I think the strategy works. It would be nice for the Warriors to stay where they are but we just can't justify that expenditure."

Denise Krum, Maungakiekie-Tamaki: "We've got one football stadium too many and I would think a prestigious team like the Warriors need to grow their game and outgrow Mt Smart anyway."

Not in favour

John Watson, Albany: "That figure is just baloney, just rubbish. It is the highest figure they can think of. They want to suggest Mt Smart is a basket case and it is going to take tens of millions of dollars. In actual fact Mt Smart is a really good rugby league stadium.

Wayne Walker, Albany: "The figures that RFA are putting about appear to be contrived. The cost of keeping the Warriors at Mt Smart is nowhere near the $70 million put up by RFA. And I don't believe that cost being put about for the changes to Western Springs are accurate. It would cost considerably more that [$12 million]."

Dr Cathy Casey, Albert-Eden-Roskill: "I have never supported the stadium strategy. I have been really concerned since it was first mooted. It seems to have taken a life of its own well outside of council. I don't think there is any control being exerted by the elected members."

Mike Lee, Waitemata and Gulf: "I have a very strong impression these people [RFA] are out of their depth. Most Aucklanders want to see the Warriors remain at Mt Smart. It is a pretty dumb conclusion. I don't agree with it."

Uncommitted/need more information

Len Brown (Mayor): "People need to pause, consider all the issues and involve themselves in the very long discussion Aucklanders are about to have as part of the 10-year-budget process. No final decisions have been made, and we are many months away from reaching that stage."

Sharon Stewart, Howick: "People who live in my community who follow the Warriors are quite happy to go to [Mt Smart]. I'd like to sit down and talk it over with my fellow councillors about what exactly is being proposed because we really don't know."

Dick Quax, Howick: "I was very surprised when I heard that the Warriors were being told they had to go to North Harbour Stadium. That was the fist I'd ever heard of that. This figure of $60 to $70 million for an upgrade of Mt Smart is pie in the sky stuff."

Alf Filipaina, Manukau: "My understanding is that the $70 million [to upgrade Mt Smart] is wrong. I'd rather find out and then end up deciding."

Calum Penrose, Manurewa-Papakura: "What I support is that there is more work required. Are the ratepayers prepared to keep putting a million dollars a year into a private company, the Warriors? Those are the questions that need to be asked and answered by the people of Auckland."

Cameron Brewer, Orakei: "I'm generally supportive of the stadium strategy but I am concerned ratepayers may have to fund a nasty legal fight against the Warriors if this whole Mt Smart issue is not handled well. I want to know the real cost of keeping the Warriors at Mt Smart because noone believes its going to take $70m."